Sky Pirate Odyssey
by xGotItMemorized
Summary: — RikkuBalthier; When Rikku finally decides to take her cousin's advice and go on a vacation, things don't turn out the way she planned and she ends up where she would've never expected. critical reviews needed.
1. Departure

**Chapter 1:** Departure. (Her P.O.V)

( I know this is a bad start off, but it's only a rough draft! )

"Maybe, you should take a vacation. ." Yuna started to say as she continued to fix her hair. "Clear your mind. . Just get away from it all. ." She turned around and looked at her cousin. Rikku was sitting on the bed, her swirly green eyes staring at her feet. A soft sigh escaped her lips, and the only thing she did was nod. Smiling sheepishly, Yuna walked over to the blonde thief and sat beside her, merely placing her hand against her shoulder only for it to be brushed away by Rikku's swift movement.

Standing up, Rikku walked towards the exit. "Maybe you're right." She admitted before walking towards the exit of the small hut. She didn't have it in her to turn around and apoligize, she jus couldn't. She felt too much regret. Getting her stuff together, Rikku walked out and into the village of Besaid. She didn't want to waste anymore time. Buddy and Shinra were wairing for her at the beach. Taking her cousins advice on taking a vacation seemed like the best thing to do. Somewhere far away, where no one would other her. She knew she didn't deserve it, but she needed it.

Her arms swung freely at her sides as she walked across the bridge. The waterfall across the other side echoed in her ear. Looking over the edge, she could mentally feel the waterfalls impact, spilling over the mountain side and into the stone basin lake at the end. It really was a beautiful sight, but the moment would last only minutes. Rikku continued onto the otherside, passing the trees and into te entrance of the beach. She could smell the strong scent of the sea and the cool winds, whipping her scarf harshly against her skin. looking around, she was able to find her airship from afar. Sighing, Rikku ran up to the entrance, waving her hand.

"Hey!" she yelled out, seeing Buddy walk out of the ship. She could feel the sand beneath her boots merely slow her down. "Are you ready to leave?" She asked in an eager tone.

"Yeah, Shinra updated our Commsphere and map. He said it will be easier to use if we wanna find our way around the area. . without his help." He paused, lifting his hand only to scratch his head.

"Without his help?" She asked.

"Yeah, too bad he won't be able to make it. He's too busy in Luca. Turns out, he has to make an appearence there for winning the Sphere Break competition. . against you." He shook his head.

"What? So it will only be us? What if something goes wrong?" She asked, flailing her arms.

"Don't worry about it. I've gotten it all under control. That's why Shinra made a few extra changes to our equipment. Here, let me show you." He motioned his hand, wanting her to follow as he walked into the ship. Following him, Rikku walked into the airship right behind him, hoping over the railing as she reached the bridge.

"Shinra's latest version of your daddy's model. The Occilofinder." He folded his arms over his chest.

Rikku nodded. "Are you sure you'll be alright, with this?" Her voice lightened a bit. She felt bad that he was going to be here alone without Shinra and Brother. It was always the three of them together, whenever the Gullwings went on their Sphere hunting missions. "It's no problem at all. Leave it all to me."

He smiled. "Just tell me where, and we'll be there in no time."

Riku nodded and walked over to the map, searching out their destination. Pointing, she looked at him. "There, remember the deserted island we found last month? It's perfect for a small get away!" Rikku clasped her hands together in excitement. "Don't you think?" She asked, curiously. "Yunie did tell me I needed to take a vacation, so I'm going to take her advice." She smiled.

"Yeah, it does. Well then, off we go." He said, walking over to the pilot's seat, getting everything together. "Maybe you should take a rest. You've been through a lot, haven't you?" He insisted, looking back at her as she already because to walk up the stairs and past the railing.

Turning around she looked at him. "How did you know?" She asked.

"Your eyes." He shrugged. "But, it's none of my business. Go get some sleep." He finished before turning back around and buckling himself in. Nodding, she began to make her way over towards the elevator. Once inside, she punched in the number for the cabin and stretched. Maybe a vacation was a good idea afterall. She couldn't wait to just relax. Reaching the cabin, the doors to the elevator slid open and Rikku walked into the spacious room. Just like ol' times. The Celcius has never changed one bit. The spiral stairs at the back left of the room led to the short second floor, where the cabin beds reside. Just thinking about them made her tired. Waving at Barkeep, as she passed, she walked up the stairs and threw herself on one of the beds. She was exausted. Her little trip from Kilika Port to Besaid was tiring. One of the reason she was glad to get away. Away from stealing, and away from sphere hunting. Before she knew it, her eyes couldn't stay open any longer and she drifted off into a deep sleep.

**Authors Note: **Okay, so I know this is really short. . but it was the only thing I could come up with at the time when I was thinking about it. Probably the image of this first chapter was detailed better in my head than when I wrote it down here. _ Anyways. .please review and constructive criticism is needed. Or else how will I ever improve my writing skills? I'll be needing your help you know.


	2. Home Again

**Chapter 2**: Home Again (His P.O.V)

The Royal City of Rabanastre. It was still the same after two years. The busy streets filled with pedestrians, running errands. The many shops and trading stands were some of the reasons why this city was so big and diverse. Not to mention the Queen's palace was a couple doors down. Passing large crowds, Balthier and his viera partner made their was over to the Eastend from the Southern Plaza. Today seemed a bit busier than usual. Or was it just him? Did he really miss out on so much? He has been a year after all. Besides, he wasn't really all that fond of big cities. Royal ones, to be exact. He was more of an 'open air' guy. The skies was his home.

"Fran, I will meet you in the Southern Plaza at noon. Go fetch the Strahl from Vaan for me, will you? Give him my regards." He said, fixing hiscuffs. Fran simply nodded and began to walk towards the nearest Lowtown entrances.

Thinking that the only way to pass the time on waitinf for Fran's return, Balthier began to walk towards the Sandsea. As narrow as this area of Rabanastre was, it was pretty crowded. His exaggerated sigh explained it all - His dislikes for these sort of things.

Finally though the crowd of people, Balthier walked into the Tavern and sat down at the bar. The sound of lively chatter and glass bottles coming into contact with one another flooded his ears. This place was any skypirate's getaway. The hunt board, booths and bar all made this place worth the visit. Simply ordering one of Bhujerba's finest bottle of Madhu, he downed half the drink before setting it down onto the counter, holding it firmly in his grasp. The glass bottle stung his digits only slightly, from the cold feeling of it being in a chilled area all day.

"Eh, did you hear about that hunt down in the Estersand? Some guy posted the flier all the way from Nalbina." He man said to the other beside him.

Overhearing their conversation, Balthier became a bit interested.

"Yeah! I heard about that. Turns out the mark is the reason why the Estersand Village and Nalbina are frightened to leave. No tradin' for a while from them." The other added.

"No doubt about it. At least not until that beast is gone." The first one sighed.

"But that means the sick towns people will have to wait for their supplies. 'Specially Migelo's Sundries." The other finished.

Grinning to himself, Balthier paid the bartender and walked towards the Hunt Notice Board, ripping off the flier about the Estersand mark and placed it into his side pocket. Maybe his visit to Rabanastre wasn't such a bad idea, after all.

He walked out of the Sandsea, and into the streets once again. The Eastend was still just as crowded as before, but hopefully the place would calm down a bit. Making his was into the Muthruu Bazaar, he walked past all of the shops, seeing he entered in through the side from the Eastend. People trading goods and also cooking could be seen as he made his way past them, examining their goods on the way. He was getting pretty hungry, but he about waiting for Fran to return.

"Well isn't this a rare sight." A familiar voice scoffed.

Turning around, Balthier narrowed his eyes down only slightly, seeing the blonde female with her arms crossed before him. She looked more mature than she did, the last time he's seen her. Grew a couple of inches, no doubt.

"Rare indeed. I'm surprised you were even able to spot me in a crowd like this, Penelo." He said, patting her head lightly. Smiling, she walked up to him and wrapped her arms around him. "It's been a year already, and you still look the same." She started. "Where have you been, Balthier?" the girl asked, settling in his arms.

A bit surprised by her sudden action, Balthier gently placed his arms around her, accepting her warm embrace. "Where else?" He chuckled lightly, letting go of her.

"I doubt in an airship. Vaan still holds posession of the Strahl." Penelo grinned, placing her arms on her hips.

Shaking his head, he crossed his arms, not wanting to protest with her reply. He noticed she had a bad strapped to her back. Changing the subject, he raised an eyebrow. "Running errands for that ol' Migelo, I see." She shuffled the bag a bit from on her back and nodded. "As always. Say, could you help me with one? It's not hard."

He looked at her, thinking about it for a moment. "I suppose so. Have nothing better to do with my time. Fran is taking awfully long, anyways." He agreed.

Penelo flashed him a cheesey smile, handing him a tiny note. "I need you to go to the Estersand Village and pick up Migelo's oder of Estershell mineral. I would do it myself, you see. . But I have too many things to do, and no so much time on my hands." She finished. Taking the note, he glanced at it before putting it away. "It's not as hard as you might think." She giggled.

Shaking his head, Balthier gave her a slight pat on the back before replying. "Hard? Have you forgotten who I am, dearest Penelo?" He scoffed, beginning to walk towards the staircase.

"No, I haven't." She started. "You'll find me in Lowtown, when you're done. There's a small dinner tonight, you should join us!" She yelled out to him, as he reached the top of the stairs.

"Alright, then. I'll see what I can dismiss on my schedule for today." He said, waving once before exiting the Bazaar.

**Authors Note: **Yet another short chapter but this time in Balthier's point of view. Please review, criticism is always welcomed.


	3. Unexpected Visits

**Chapter 3:** Unexpected visits. ( sorry if this is pretty confusing. D8 )

Waking up from her long nap, Rikku noticed that she ship was still in flight. 'We should've landed already.' She thought to herself. Sitting up, the blonde Al Bhed began to fix her hair, followed by a long, satisfying stretch. Jumping out of bed, she walked down then spiral staircase and out of the cabin. She became a bit curious on why they didn't arrive yet at the island. It wouldn't take long at all, especially by airship. Not even for the Celsius. At the bridge, Rikku looked around and noticed that Buddy wasn't at his station. Where did he go?

Walking over to the pilot's sear, she narrowed her eyes down to the commands, noticing that they were on autopilot. 'Okay. . .' Looking out of the front, she saw clouds, particularly storm clouds. Squinting only slightly, she walked a bit closer to the glass to get a better look. 'A storm? It can't be. It's the middle of summer.' Pressing her hands against the flass, she eyed the storm clouds, wondering about the mysterious change in weather.

A quick flash of red coming from the distance through the clouds caught her attention. "What was that." She quietly asked herself. Buddy never did mention a storm heading their way, and the alerts would've went off by now too. Rikku was quickly snapped out of her thoughts when she felt the ship shake. Swiftly, she gripped onto the pilot seat, looking out of the window. The flash of red light appeared again from the distant dark clouds, before noticing that the flash was actually gunfire.

"Buddy! Where are you?" Rikku yelled in a panic, darting towards the elevator. The gunfire hit the ship again, causing Rikku to lose her balance and fall on her knees. She needed to get to Buddy before the ship goes out of control and gives in the the fires. Crawling over to the elevator, she pressed the down button that led the elevator to the engine room. Slowly standing up, Rikku held onto the wall and waited for the door to slide open.

"Rikku!" Buddy called out from the other side of the elevator as it opened. He was holding his arm, blood staining his attire. Rikku's eyes winded and she placed her hand over his arm. "What happened Buddy?" she asked, fright filling her voice.

"It's nothing. That thing that struck the ship, it caught me off guard. I couldn't recover in time before the engine collapsed." His eyes narrowed down a bit to the floor, before feeling Rikku hold onto him as the fire from the mysterious clouds struck the airship again.

"We only have minutes before the engine finally breaks down and Celcius will crash." Straightening up, Rikku helped Buddy to the front of the Bridge.

"So the ship won't make it?" Rikku his head, Rikku's expression dropped. The fire hit the ship once more, before Rikku lost her grip on Buddy and fell.

"Rikku, you need to get out of her." He said, sitting in the pilot seat and stearing the airship away from the cloud. "The side vent leads to the bottom of the ship, through the engine room. Take that exit and get yourself out of here." He gripped onto the controls harder, making it a bit difficult to stear due to his his damaged arm. "I'd advise you not to take the elevator up. Going out from the top won't be good." He finished said.

The mysterious storm cloud began to slowly fade away, revealing a huge airship. Rikku felt herself become a bit lightheaded.

"I'm not leaving. Both of us need to get out of here." She cried out, trying to make her way up to the pilot sear, but was forcefully stopped by the airship's gunfire on Celcius.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. Someone has to control this ship to stall time for you to leave. Go Rikku, get out of here." He smiled.

Seeing that she was not able to convince him any longer, Rikku made her way out of the Bridge after a long pause. The alert system magnified in her head, she felt her headache grow with each passing minute. She never experienced a situation like this before.

Out of the Bridge, the blonde pressed the emergency button on the far right corner of the Engine Room, almost as close as where the engine was located and grabbed the parachute. Buddy was right. By the look of things, the engine wouldn't last at all. It was already beginning to give in. Why did all of this have to happen to her? All she wanted was a vacation.

With as much strength as she could, Rikku pushed opened the emergency door and took out the parachute, placing it on her back. The winds were strong, but ceased slowly because of how close to land they were heading. Looking up, she noticed how huge the airship was, compared to Celcius. She never saw anything like it before. Feeling the ship shake again, she saw that one of the parts of the airship broke off, followed by the engine's parts beginning to shoot off. Rikku had no choice but to jump.

Looking back, she saw the engine from inside finally give in, causing the entire airship to explode. 'Buddy. .' Tears filled her eyes and she pressed down on the side of her bag, releasing the parachute. Before her, she spotted many airships and a huge palace. She definitely was not in Spira anymore. And worst of all, she was all alone.

Almost by the shore of a small beach, Rikku unhooked the parachute and jumped, landing in the water. The large parachute that landed on top of her, weighed her down a bit, causing her to struggle free. Above the water, she gasped for breath, slowly crawling to shore before collapsing onto the grainy terrain. "Hm. ." She groaned. She was shaking stedily from the cold feeling of the water and also from the incident. Buddy was dead, Celcius was destroyed and she was far away from home. There were so many memories taken away from her. 'Not in Spira anymore. .

* * *

Killing off the last two wolves that got in his way, Balthier put away his gun and continued to walk through the Estersand. He couldn't believe he actually agreed to help that girl out with errands. Nor accepting her invite to dinner. He wasn't foolish, that's for sure. But he was only thinking about food. . .and that hunt. It was the only thing keeping him here in the city. He needed to watch his back, too. The mark roamed this particular area. And he wasn't prepared to face it, not yet. He could spot the Village from afar, relieved that he was almost there. Almost out of ammo, and his last bit of potions were merely going to last him until he was at the village. There was no time to lose.

The sound of growling came into play when he turned his attention behind him and saw another wolf about to attack him. "Damn. . ." He signed, pulling out his gun once again and aiming it at the beast. The wolf then pounced at him, tackling him down, only to be thrown off as Balthier used his feel to kick it. Hurrying to his feet, Balthier armed his weapon at the wolf and pulled the trigger. The wolf went limp and fell over at his side.

Exhaling heavily, Balthier swiftly made his way through the Estersand over towards the entrance of the Village. Before he entered, smoke could be seen at the corner of his eye. A bit curious, he made his way over to the shore and noticed a small figure laying on the ground and the smoke coming from an airship in the distance.

'An airship. .?' raising an eyebrow, Balthier walked towards the figure and noticed that it was a girl. She didn't look wounded, but he could've been wrong. Leaning over, he gently lifted the light female into his arms and dug through his pocket, pulling out a tiny vile of potion. Carefully, he poured the contents down her parted lips and placed the vile back into his pocket. "So much for saving." He spoke to himself, taking her to the village. He knew he was of no help whatsoever, but the least he could do was take her to the nurse of the Village.

Apon entering, a young woman made her way up to him. "Sir, is something wrong?" she asked, placing her hands behind her back.

"Yes, is the nurse of the Village present? This young girl looks like she needs to be taken cared of." Balthier answered, looking at the small female in his arms.

The other noded and ran ff into one of the huts to fetch the nurse. Moments later, a woman wearing - what it seemed to look like - a formal fur-patched sweater, walked out of the same hut and over towards Balthier.

"Is this the girl?" She asked him.

"Yes." He simply answered.

Studying the female, the nurse motioned her hand, for him to bring her into the hut. Following, Balthier carried the female into the hut and looked around. There were blankets spread on the ground, followed by a few mats, that laid neatly under a table. The table had a bowl on it, filled with water and a couple of nursing utensils set beside it. She must've had patients before this one.

"Just lay her there." She smiled.

Nodding, he did as he was told and looked around, folding his arms across his chest. The nurse placed her hand against the blonde's forehead before pulling out a tiny cloth and soaking it in water. As she rinsed it, she placed it over the girl's head and looked at him.

"She seems to be healing all by herself, but if I may ask. . Where did you find her?" she asked.

"Just outside of the Ester shore. There's an airship just beyond there too. Did something happen?" he eyed the nurse.

The nurse took a few moments to think. She nodded. "So that was all of that noise. . ." She sighed as he raised an eyebrow. "Us villagers are too shaken by that terrible beast lurking the Estersand to even step food out of our village." She passed, removing the cloth from the girls forehead, before continuing. "We knew the Archadians were responsible for this girl's sudden arrival, but we won't leave."

Stepping forward, Balthier unfolded his arms. "The imperials did this?" He asked. "Why would they shoot down the airship?"

She stod up and walked towards the door. "We saw the Alexander out of a storm cloud, shoot down an airship in the sky. . Maybe she was an intruder." She looked at the female, then eyed Balthier.

Before he could respond, the same female from earlier entered the room. "So sorry to interupt, but there are a couple of villagers that seek your aid, miss. ." She bowed slightly, and exited when the nurse nodded.

She looked at him. "I'd highly suggest taking care of her. . At least until she is better." With that, the nurse walked out of the room.

"Me take care of her?" He scoffed, turning to glance at the girl. Sighing softly, he made his way over to her, keeling down in front of her. Maybe he had no choice. He picked up the cloth, rinsing it in the water, then placed it against her forehead.

"How am I to take care of anyone?" He spoke to himself, looking at the girl. The girl didn't look like she was from around this area. From her unique attire, to her weapon placed on her arm.

Maybe the nurse was right. Maybe she really was an intruder. But that didn't explain why the imperials had to shoot her airship down. Protection was one thing mut arrest sounded a bit safer. Removing the cloth from her head, he placed it back into the bowl and stood up. As he stood up, he stretched his arms out a bit and looked around. Didn't he come here for something?

"Ah!" He exclaimed quietly, taking the tiny note out from his pocket. "Almost forgot about Penelo's errand." He sighed and walked towards the exit. Before leaving, he turned around and looked at the girl. 'I'll be back.' Shaking his head, he walked out of the hut, in search for the nearest shop.

**Authors Note:** Okay, just to clarify things, I know it's pretty strange how Rikku ended up in Ivalice, but hey. . I didn't know any other way of her gettin' there without using the airship, you know? Also, I noticed I lack a lot of detail. I'll try re-editing this story ASAP. Hopefully it will at least clarify and explain what's going on better. Review please. (:


	4. Room For One More?

**Chapter 4:** Room For One More?

_"Go, Rikku. Get out of here."_  
_"I'm not leaving. Both of us need to get out of here. . ." She cried._  
_"Don't worry, I'll be fine." He smiled._

"No, Buddy! Don't!" Rikku yelled out, shooting up from her current position. Her eyes shot open, breathing only slightly heavily. 'It was so sudden. .so real.' She thought to herself. Looking at her hands, she noticed she was still shaking a bit. Rikku looked around and saw that she was in a tiny room. Beside her, she noticed the medical instruments and the bowl and cloth on a table. 'What hapened? Where am I?' Standing up, she walked out of the hut and looked around. She definately was not in Spira anymore. Everyone looked so different. Their lifestyle was nothing like she was used to. The way the people were dressed and the way their houses were made, it all made her miss her home even more.

"Excuse me, what is the name of this " She asked, cut off when she stopped a randomwoman as she walked by.

"Awake, I see?" Balthier said, his arms swingly lightly at his sides, causing Rikku to turn her attention towards the strange male.

"Who are you?" Sdhe asked confused.

"Who am I? My dear, I'm the _Leading Man_." He tilted his head a bit before continuing. "Name's Balthier."

Rikku raised an eyebrow. "Balthier," she repeated. "Where am I, exactly?" she asked, looking around.

"Why, you're at the Estervillage, far off Rabanastre, Ivalice. Found you out by the shore and brought you back here." He noticed that she really was different than what he'd expected. Her eyes explained it all. The swirly green eyes she had made him believe that what the nurse said, was surely true.

"I knew it. . ." Rikku sighed, letting her arms drop to her sides. "I'm not in Spira anymore." Turning around, Rikku began to walk out of the village and into the Estersand.

"Watch over her, sir. If she really doesn't know Ivalice, who knows what she might run into. Especially imperials. They might be on the search. . You never know. _Beware_ of the mark. ." The nurse said to Balthier, cautiously.

Sighing exaduratedly, Balthier ran out of the village. He darted his eyes back and fourth, in search for the girl. She couldn't have gotten far. He though to himself. Taking a couple more steps foroward, he turned around and saw that she was standing by the water.

Shaking his head, he made his way over to the shore and stood beside the blonde, placing his hands into his pockets. Silence filled the air, interupted by the sounds of the waves crashing against the shore. Rikku let another moment of silence pass before speaking quietly.

"Going home isn't an option anymore. .I suppose." Her gaze stared out into the distance, off the horizon. The crashed airship, which was now sinking into the water - could be seen, causing Rikku to glance down at her feet.

Shrugging slightly, he looked at her and folded his arms. "It could be, but it might take a while." Rikku raised her head, looking at him. "I was told by the nurse to watch over you. Until you were able to go home. Looks like_ babysitting _is my only option." He scoffed, grinning a bit as he began to walk.

"Babysit?" She questioned, following behind him.

He nodded. "M'hm."

"Thanks, but no thanks. I'm nineteen. I may not know where I am, but I can take care of mysel-"

She stopped, feeling the male step infront of her, pushing her back causing her to fall onto the ground. He pulled out his gun, aiming it at the wolf behind the blonde, then pulled the trigger. Loking at her, he sighed.

"Take care of yourself, eh? How about watching your back, first." He put the gun away and held his hand out to help her to her feet.

"Hm." Was all that escaped her lips as she gripped his hand, and regained her balance. Dusting herself off, she folded her arms. "Just continue." She said looking away.

Raising his eyebrow, he chuckled lightly and began walking again. "A 'Thank You' wouldve worked too, but fine." Following behind him, she frowned a bit. ". . Thanks, but I'm not as useless and weak as you might think." Grinning, Balthier shook his head and looked at her. "I never said otherwise."

* * *

As they continued cautiously through the Estersand, the city of Rabanastre's view grew more and more with each step they took. The walk to the city didn't take as long as he thought it would, and the mark was nowhere in sight. Maybe the beast roamed the deepest part of the Estersand. But that meant it was safe enough for the Estervillage to trade their goods with the City. He could be wrong, but it was worth a shot. Stopping infront of the gate to the city, Balthier and Rikku waited for the guards to give the signal and open the gate.

"Just stay by my side. This city is big. Don't want to wander off with the wrong people, now do you?" Balthier told the blonde, walking through the gate and into the entrance of the Southern Plaza. Rikku followed and nodded in agreement. She stared at the city in awe. The she never saw a city so big before. The closest thing to to big for her would've been Bevelle in Spira, and maybe Luca. But this was even better. Come to think of it, Rikku thought she might actually enjoy her stay here in. . . .wherever she was.

Walking beside the male, she stayed by his side the entire time, as they made their way into the East End, past the vast amount of 's eyes glanced at the girl a couple of times, noticing how amazed she looked. "Like the city, I see?" He asked, a bit amused at the face that she was like any other newcomer here in Rabanastre.

"This city. . .it's huge." She started to say. "It's beautiful." She admitted, looking at him.

Balthier nodded and opened the small entrance to Lowtown, before closing it as they both - the girl and himself - stepped in. "I suppose it is, but I'm used to it. Not very fond of it. . .but it is." He looked at her. "I'm sure there are cities where you come from, right?" He asked, looking at her before continuing through Lowtown, in search for Penelo.

She shrugged lightly, looking around the gloomy area. "There are, but not as big and crowded as this. . unfortunately." She sighed, streching her arms out a bit before letting them dangle off to her sides. She didn't want to get into detail on why the cities where she came from never had, or even. . couldn't have such a vast amount of people getting together in one area. Deciding to change the subject, she stopped walking and placed her hands behind her head, smiling. "But y'know, I don't think it was such a bad thing endin' up here." She paused. "I mean, I love to travel n' all, but this city seems interesting. So I might just stick around here for a bit until I get a new airship. I was suppose to go on a vacation, anyways." Rikku dropped her arms and began to walk again.

Her little remark caused Balthier to scoff. Chuckling to himself, he placed his hands on his hips before beginning to walk again. "ivalice is full of surprises. It's not just here you might find interesting." He said, looking at her as she turned her head to face him. "And about your airship, if you want another, you'll need to earn it. And it won't be cheap, you know." He eyed her then turned his head to face forward.

"What? That. . .thing shot me down! I don't see why I need to earn a new airship, if it wasn't my fault to begin with." She protested, but was cut short when he added in another say. "Yes, well - we'll discuss this later. Right now, we need to go and visit an old friend of mine." He said as they stopped at a door to a small house. Balthier knocked on the door and acrossed his arms. Moments later, the door opened and on the other side stood a very grumpy-looking Vaan, messing with his hair.

"Balthier, never thought you'd actually show up here." He said, stepping aside, while motioning his hand for them to step in. Figuring it out, Balthier waited for Rikku to enter first, before shutting the door behind him.

"Yes well, neither did I. But you know I'm not going anywhere without the Strahl, and of course, I'd never leave Fran behind." He responded, walking into the small room with Rikku.

"You have a point there." He crossed his arms. "Same ol' Balthier that I know."

Balthier sat down across from the blonde as Vaan stood by the wall near the kitchen. "So, who's your new friend, Balthier?" Vaan asked curiously.

"Oh, this is " he paused.

"Rikku." She finished, smiling. She then stood up and made her way over to Vaan, extending her hand out to him. Accepting her warm invite, Vaan shook her hand andsmiled. "Nice to meet you, Rikku. I'm Vaan. Balthier never mentioned he'd bring someone over here." He laughed, looking at the sky pirate. Balthier scoffed quietly, crossing his arms while leaning back against the couch.

"Yeah. . .I kinda was a surprise. I guess." She said, letting go of his hand, only to scratch the back of her head a bit.

"Well, it's no problem at all. I'll just let Penelo know we have a guest joinin' us for dinner." He said before making his way towards the kitchen door.

"If you say so. ." She smiled and walked over to Balthier, ploppling down beside him on the couch.

"I'm gonna go let Penelo know you guys are here. Oh, and Balthier. . I invited Fran too. She should be here soon," He paused, his smile fading only slightly, but not enough to notice. "And the Strahl is down at the Garage, the Queen built in for us. It's around her quarters. She told me to leave it there for safe keeping. I told Fran, and she understood. . and decided to wait, until you were ready that is." He finished and left the small room, walking into the kitchen.

"So the Lady Ashe has been holding the Strahl this whole time? Interesting. And I thought she didn't take part in affairs of Sky Pirating. Oh well, it seems we'll be making a pit stop after dinner." Balthier sighed, then turned his attention towards the girl.

"Lady Ashe? Is that the Queen's name?" She asked.

He nodded. "i've known her for some time now. And by the look of things. ." He started, refering to the uptight amount of imperial soldiers that still roamed the city streets, "The new queen might not mind having so many imperials inside of her beloved city. . .now that she is no longer in exile. For all of Dalmasca. .I wonder." He paused, shaking his head. He then decided to change the subject. "So. .your name is Rikku, eh? Sounds pretty unique. But I suppose it fits a person like yourself." He grinned a bit.

"You _suppose_? What's that suppose to mean?" She asked, frowning slightly. He shrugged and stretched a bit. "You're unique." He simply said. She nudged him lightly before getting up from the couch and looking around the tiny room. Sounds could be heard from the kitchen, along with the sounds of footsteps. She could tell that the food was still in preperation.

After a while, the door swung open and out came a blonde girl with an apron on, fixing her hair. A smile spreaded wide on across her lips and she placed her hands on her hips. "You made it. You actually kept your promise, Balthier." Penelo placed her hands behind her back, beginning to untie the apron. Successfully getting it undone, she slipped it over her head and placed it neatly on top of the chair. "Did you get Migelo's order? He's been bugging me all day about it."

He nodded, reaching into his side pouch, pulling out a tiny bag filled with some sort of pink mineral powder. "This was the last batch," he said, standing up and handing it to her. Reaching out for it, she took the bag and looked beside him.

"Who's this?" She asked, raising an eyebrow, slightly.

Rikku pointed to herself, before looking at Balthier. He nodded and walked over to her. "This is Rikku, she will be accompanying me for a little while. I do hope you have room for one more?" He asked, nudging Penelo's arm slightly,

"Oh, sure. Of course." She smiled awkwardly, walking up to the unfamiliar girl. "It's nice to meet you, Rikku. I'm Penelo."

She slowly embraced her into a light hug, before letting go and turning around to face Balthier. "Dinner will be ready soon. I'd highly suggest setting up the table. Vaan you come with me into the kitchen to get the food." She said, beginning to walk into the kitchen. Vaan followed behind her.

As they left the room, Baltheir walked towards the dining table. "I'll be staying with you?" Rikku asked, following him. She carefully picked up the neatly stacked plates and began to place them infront of each chair. Balthier followed, placing the silverware beside them as well.

"I suppose you are, remember? I have to take care of you." Balthier reminded her, dusting his hands off as he finished. Frowing, Rikku made her way over to the male, placing her arms on her sides.

"Why do you always insist on refering to me as a child? I can take care of myself. " She stated, her eyes glaring deeply into his. Tilting his head a bit to the side, he crossed his arms over his chest scoffing quietly. Glaring into her eyes as well, he noticed that her eyes were very strange, in that they were different than a regular Hume's optics. They were. . swirled.

"You do not know these streets like I do. Nor these skies." He gently pulled at her cheek. She pulled away from his grip, her eyes narrowing to the side. "Would you rather I abandon you here in Rabanastre? This way you'll never find your way home, and I'll be back on my airship, going about my business." he finished, looking at her. He was right. As much as she didn't want to admit it, he was. She then felt uneasy for a moment, sighing quietly. Rikku would have to get used to this place for a while and there were no exceptions.

"Where will I stay?" She asked quietly.

Balthier slowly lifted her head a bit with his fist under her chin. "Archadia." She glanced at him once before looking away, nodding.

After a short moment of silence, Penelo and Vaan carefully made their way into the dining room. Each person took a job helping place the food on the table ina neatly ordered fashion. The main course sat in the middle, steaming slightly, as if it just came fresh out the oven.

"The food looks really good." RIkku smiled.

"Thank you, Rikku. It's Cockatrice meat, all the way from Giza Plains. I had to catch one myself. .the owner insisted that I did." She sighed. "It's like trying to catch a Chocobo. .impossible." She laughed, joining everyone at the table. Rikku sat down beside Balthier, while Penelo sat across from them, next to Vaan.

Penelo looked around the table. "Where's Fran?" She asked Vaan, who replied with a lazy shrug. "Dunno. She should've been here by now." he finally said, stretching his arms out. "Can we start eating?" Vaan stared at the food, eager to just dig in. Before Penelo could say anything, a faint sound of the front door opening and closing stopped her, Then, in walked Fran. She bowed slightly, showing her respect before joining them at the table. "Am I late? I am sorry." She apologized.

"Ah, Fran, there youa re." Balthier grinned.

Fran fixed herself properly, looking at Rikku then back to the sky pirate. "You were already here, I see." Was all she said.

"You knew?" He asked.

"Your scent. It grows strong here. .along with another." Fran said calmly, her gaze falling apon Rikku. Rikku couldn't keep her eyes off the tall female. She was a bit mesmurized by her presence. Her tall stature and her long ears were just amazing to her. She felt a bit intimidated by such a woman. What was she exactly?

"I see, you picked up Rikku's scent as well." The sound of her name brought her back to reality, and out of her inner babble. "Huh? My scent?" Rikku asked, confused.

"Fran, as you can see, is not of our Hume race. She is a Viera. A magnificent race, I should say. They have keen senses that are far more superior than any living thing here, in Ivalice." Balthier explained. Rikku nodded in an understanding motion, fixing the napkin on her lap.

"Well, enough talk now. Let's eat!" Penelo said, smiling. "I'm sorry if it isn't much, Rikku, If I knew we were having an extra guest, I would've ma " she started.

"Yes! Time to eat!" Vaan groaned happily, beginning to take food and put it on his plate. Rikku didn't take much to eat. She still felt somewhat uncomfortable and didn't want to feel out of place, like she already did. So most of the time, she kept quiet unless she was asked questions about where she was from, or what she did for a living. Most of the time, Vaan was pretty interested at the sound of her Thievery hobby and flying her own airships that her dad would make for her.

**Authors Note: **Well. .this chapter was longer than before. Still lacking detail, I know. Man, I made Rikku so stubborn here. Well what do you expect if you were in her situation? Haha. Review.~


	5. Archadia

**Chapter 5** - Archadia

The dinner passed just as fast as it came. It reminded Rikku too much of her family back in Spira. Family dinners like this was rare, but it never bothered her. After about an hour or two in the house, Rikku, Balthier and Fran thanked the others before exiting.

"Please come back and visit, Rikku. Your home back in Spira sounds very interesting. I would love to hear more about it!" Penelo smiled.

Rikku nodded and waved before walking towards Fran and Balthier. "Thank you for inviting me on such short notice, Penelo." Fran said, following behind Balthier, who already said his goodbyes.

"Where to now?" Rikku asked, looking at both, Fran and Balthier.

"First, the Queen's palace. There we retrieve the Strahl." Fran said, opening the exit gate of Lowtown.

"Ah, yes. The new queen. Been a while, hasn't it?" Balthier added, eyeing Fran with a grin. "Hm, it has." Fran answered, as the all walked out of the Eastern Plaza and into the North end.

( NOTE: in the game, They only told Vaan about the palace's secret entrance from when you're in Lowtown. So I can't say for sure that The Royal Palace's ENTRANCE was specifically past the North End. So, I'll just improvise and say it is. Sounds good? }/span/p  
"Balthier, I will not be able to accompany you for a little while." Fran said, as they continued to walk.

"Duty calls, I suppose?" Balthier guessed, folding his arms. He didn't dare try arguing with Fran about her staying. He knew that Viera affairs were not to be delt with by the help of Humes or others, in general. Fran was wise, and compared to Rikku, Balthier knew Fran could take care of herself.

"Yes, I will come with you to get the airship, nothing more." She finished. Close to The Royal Palace, Balthier looked at Fran. "Where did they leave her?"

"Just follow me. I do not remember by name. Only by sight." She answered. Following the Viera, Rikku nudged Balthier's arm. "Uh. .we won't be meeting the Queen, will we?" She asked a bit nervously.

"There is a chance that we won't. You seem frightened. Are you?" He teased.

"No! I just. .I've never met a queen before. The only people close to 'royalty' that I've seen, were the Yevon Maesters of Spira. " She said, her eyes narrowing up to eye Fran, before looking away. "Maesters, hm? So there were your leaders?" He asked.

"Not my leaders, but the leaders of the People of Spira. Yevonites. . they despise us. . us Al Bhed." She shrugged. "It seems you have a lot of explaining to do once we get the ship." Balthier said. Rikku nodded, looking up at Fran curiously, who only smiled slightly.

The walk to the Strahl was a short, but successful trip around the palace, where the Bahamut monument on the east could be seen from afar. "I've been told that the Rains are to approach any time soon, down in Giza Plains." Balthier looked at Fran. "Hm, Penelo better be careful down there, if she wants to make another dinner like that again." He chuckled, as the entrance to the Strahl welcomed them.

"Rains? There won't be . . thunder will there?" Rikku asked, clutching her hands together against her chest. "Most of the time, there is." He answered. "Oh boy. . heh heh heh." She giggled nervously. Eyeing the girl, Balthier shook his head. "Don't worry, we head the other way."

Placing her hands on her hips, Fran smiled softly. "I sense a fear of lightning coming from the girl."

"We can't have that, now can we?" Balthier joked, eyeing Fran. "This is as far as I go. I must be off." Fran stated, bowing slightly before beginning to walk off. "I'll phone you in teh verdict." She finished, exiting the area, followed by a nod of Balthier's head.

Studying the ship, Balthier smiled a bit pleased. "My, my. Not a scratch." Stepping into the ship, Rikku looked around. She felt comfortable being in the airship. Even though ir did not resemble her own, just the thought of being one with the skies again removed her thoughts of everything bad. "I'm sure you're familiar with this. Are you not?" Balthier asked, taking his place at his station as pilot. Rikku sat in the chair beside him, observing the controls, before nodding in agreement. "This, I know for sure." She smiled.

Pleased with her answer, Balthier readied the ship, pressing the specific controls. "To Archadia, then."

"What's in Archadia?" RIkku asked, buckling herself in. "There, I own a residence. More like an apartment, in my case. But there will be a comfortable place to stay for a couple of nights." He looked at her.

"At least we won't be going through the storm. . ." She sighed, relieved. Raising an eyebrow, Balthier looked forward. "Hm, I suppose we could go through it. But it would be quicker going the other way." He looked at her, grinning. "Would you prefer the long way?" He teased. ". . .N-no thanks. Maybe some other time. I have to overcome my fear sooner or later. ." She bit down on her lower lip. "Maybe later. . " She giggled nervously. "Take the shorter route!"

Her reaction caused Balthier to chuckle. The roof to the garage opened, allowing the Strahl to hover up and through the top. Taking off, Rikku darted her eyes back and forth, looking outside. After a while in the air, Balthier looked forward, his eyes never leaving the sky. "We need to pass various places to get to Archadia. Such as the Sochen Cave Palace. Gloomy area, I say. We'll be making no stops, so just relax." Balthier said.

"Sochen. . cave palace? Is it really in a cave?" She asked. He nodded. "It won't take long," he said. "Once we get there, we'll lay low for a while. I know that imperials will be doubled in the streets. Thankfully, not as much in Archadia than there is in Rabanastre. They'll be searching for you." He eyed her.

"Me? Why?" She asked, her heart skipping a beat. He shrugged. "Well, what would you do if someone not from Ivallice passed through?" He paused. "They'll be looking for the remains." He said, refering to her.

She sighed. "If I'm caught, what will they do?" He looked at her, noticing how uncomfortable she looked. "Well, maybe they'll put you in the Nalbina Dungeon. Or maybe. . interrogation." This made Rikku a bit dizzy. All she wanted was a vacation. She didn't ask to come here, it just happened.

Looking around, Rikku shook her head, trying to change the subject. "Mind if I look around? Your airship looks so much different than mines." She looked at him, smiling.

"Go ahead, but try refraining from touching anything." He glared softly, obviously a bit over-protective of his airship. "The last thing I want is something scratched or broken."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. I know machines like the back of my hand. Putting them together and taking them apart are my middle names." She grinned before getting out of her seat and walking towards the other areas of the ship. Chuckling lightly to himself, Balthier shook his head and continued what he started.

Already going through most of the ship, Rikku walked back to the main hall, forgetting to inspect the several doors that were there. Noticing one of them closer to her, she opened the door and looked inside, seeing that it was a small guest room. There was a decent sized metal plate folded out of the wall with sheets neatly folded ontop of it. "Must be the bed. ." She guessed. Walking deeper into the room, she stopped and looked around some more. She felt the ship slow down, gradually, before coming to a full stop. "We must be here." She giggled quietly, beginning to walk out. She then closed the door behind her and turned around to walk back.

"We're here." Startled a bit by the voice, Rikku jumped a bit and gasped softly, being stopped by Balthier, who was leaning against the wall with his arms folded.

"God, Balthier. You didn't have to scare me. Could've told me you were here." She said, pushing his arm gently. He grinned. "Whenever you're ready to leave, let me know." He said, staring at her, Nodding, Rikku ran towards the exit, waiting for it to open completely, before hopping out,

Balthier followed behind her, his arms freely swaying at his sides a bit. Rikku raised her hand to her head, looking up in amazement. "This place is just as big as the other." She turned around to look at him, tilting her head a bit to the side. "Hey, Balthier. Do you think that we'll be able to walk around a bit before heading to the place?" She asked, tugging on his sleeve a bit.

"I don't know. We need to keep a look out for guards." He responded, looking around. "The people responsible for your airship. . .this is their city." He looked at her.

Letting go of his arm, she began to back up a bit. "What?" She started, her arms dropping to her sides. "But. ." She stammered a bit, looking back. "Those people. .they killed my friend. Balthier, you never mentioned that they were the ones who shot me down. ." She pushed him, before beginning to walk towards the stairs of Trant. "They killed my close friend. He risked his life to save mine. And they took it away. I'm going to settle this." She finished.

Regaining his balance, Balthier tried to catch up to her, cursing under his breath. "Rikku, don't. You can't." He demanded, grabbing her arm before she could continue down the stairs and turned her around.

"I have to, Balthier. Do you know how it feels to know that someone close to you is dead?" She asked, struggling out of his grip. He nodded. "I do." He answered. "Then you know. You see why I need to go down there and find them. I never asked for this to happen." She said, trying to push him off. Not letting her, he pulled her into his arms, and held her close to him. "This wasn't the vacation I wanted."

He sighed. "If you go down there and confront them, neither you nor I will know what will happen. It will not solve anything. This I know. And I know I should have told you on the ship, but if I were to tell you back there, would you have come?" He asked her. With no reply, he nodded. " Exactly. Wherever we go, they will be there. Rabanastre is where you were hit. They all must be there. But even though this is their city, and there is a chance that they are searching here - we cannot stop. We need to watch our backs." He paused, lifting her head. "I am not refering to you as a child, nor do I believe that you are. But I am going to take care of you and make sure that you get your airship and that you are back on your way home." He promised.

She nodded and finally calmed down. As he let go of her, she turned around. "Thanks Balthier." She said quietly.

He nodded and began to walk towards the stairs, pulling out a sandalwood chop and handing it to her. "Here, you need this to gain permission for transportation throughout the city." Taking the item, she raised an eyebrow. ". . This? Alright." She said.

Afterwards, Rikku followed Balthier down the stairs in Trant, looking around. "This place looks nice. Too bad they're after me. ." She sighed. Before Balthier could reply, a familiar voice came into play.

"Hey, you guys! Wait up!" Balthier and Rikku turned around, seeing that it was Vaan and Penelo running to catch up with them. "Vaan? Penelo? How did you get here?" He questioned.

Placing his hands on his knees, Vaan paused for a minute to catch his breath as Penelo walked around him, rolling his eyes. "Well, we. . " Vaan started between breaths.

"We followed you guys." Penelo smiled, cutting Vaan off. Balthier folded his arms, watching both of them. Vaan stood up again and placed his arms on Penelo's shoulder. "Yeah, on our new airship." He grinned, obviously happy. Nudging him off her shoulder, Penelo took a couple steps closer to Balthier and Rikku, smiling cheesily.

"Don't feel as if you have competition, Balthier." She teased. Rikku began to smile again. Their acts is what brought her out of her gloomy state. "Airship? How'd you manage that?" He ignored Penelo's remakr, by glaring slightly at her.

"Oh, the usual way. . " Vaan grinned. "Hm." Balthier figured it out, crossing his arms. "well, I'm sure you will return it, won't you? If a thief is at his best at stealing, then I'm sure returning won't be a problem either." Balthier stated, continuing down the stairs.

"Speak for yourself, Balthier." Penelo added, knowing that a Sky Pirate does just as much as a normal thief. Walking over to them, Rikku smiled.

"You stole an entire airship?" She asked, looking at Vaan. "Yeah! Wasn't easy though, Penelo kept the guards distracted."

"Definitely." She replied, clasping her hands together, grinning. "I guess I'm still a beginner when it comes to it." She sighed.

Seeing this as an opportunity to boast of his past experiences, Vaan placed his hands on his hips. " You just happened to meet the best thief in town. I'm excellent at pouching, you should have been there when I-"

"Vaan! Enough!" Penelo's disciplence began to show. "Oh c'mon! I can teach her some very useful beginner techniques! What do you say Rikku?" A shadow was leaving behind away from the irrational chattering that was taking place.

Groaning, Balthier shook his head as he continued to walk through Trant. "Babysitting, indeed. . ."

Turning around, Rikku began to run after Balthier, who was now far beyond the stairs. "Hey, wait." Rikku waved her hand. Penelo and Vaan followed behind. "Can't we stay out for a little while longer? I want to see the ship." Rikku begged, walking beside him.  
"Again with this, Rikku? I hope you know you'll have a lot of explaining to do later, if we go." He replied, in a gloomy tone.

She nodded. "Yeah, but. . please? I want you to be there." She said, stepping in front of him, to block his path. Stopping in his tracks, Balthier folded his arms and grinned lightly. "It's getting late, you know."

Pulling on his arm, she began to drag him along back towards the others. "He has agreed to come!" She smiled at them. "Wait, what?" He asked.

**Authors Note: **Okay, so this chapter isn't done. .but I decided to post it up here for anyone who wishes to read it. I'll still be adding more to this chapter so make sure you check back here every once in a while. I'm still running low on ideas on what happens after this. . suggestions? :D Maybe I'll make this story as a request or something, since it's still the beginning and I do need ideas on what to add on.

Review.~


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